


Kiss My Disease

by Iro



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 01:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iro/pseuds/Iro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Eren wakes up and finds out he's been arrested, his whole life is turned upside down. His only hope now is his lawyer; a very short, very sarcastic lawyer that Eren can't help but fall for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

That day was one of those days when you look up at the sky and you see the sun and you know it's a nice day to be outside but you just want to do absolutely nothing productive other than stay as far away from civilization as possible. And that's exactly what I was planning on doing, until Mikasa barged inside my room without knocking and tossed a change of clothes on me, ordering me to get dressed in that own motherly way of hers that pissed me off so much. If it was any other person, I wouldn't have complied, but Mikasa had that same spark in her eyes that she has when she is either really pissed or wants to torture me. And I had a gut feeling that this time, it was both. 

 

So I told her to wait for me downstairs and decided to spend a few extra moments in the warmth and safety of my bed before pushing the covers off of me and slipping some clothes on. I tried to remember what day it was as I headed downstairs to the kitchen, rubbing my eyes a bit too forcefully. It must have been Saturday, because I was slowly descending into reality and realized that I had a raging headache that had 'hangover' spelled all over it. And I only got drunk at the parties I went to with Mikasa - and those only happened on Fridays.

 

  
By the way Mikasa was eyeing me, hands curled around her hips and eyes narrowed dangerously, I had to question whether it had been just any Friday night party. I dug around in my memory for even the most vague recollection of something I might have done wrong, but to no avail. I couldn't remember most of the party itself, nevermind what I  _did_  there. I blamed the vodka.  


 

I walked past her and opened the fridge, scavenging for something to eat. "You don't have to stare at me like I killed a person," I mumbled into a yawn.

 

  
She cleared her throat. "We're getting McDonald's today." I heard the car keys dangling in her hand, and I closed the fridge, turning to her.  _She could have told me so earlier._ She still wore a morbid expression on her face, which made me feel more than just uncomfortable to be in the same car with her, but seeing as my stomach was already protesting, I decided to take the risk.  


 

"So what's up with you?" I asked while we were on the road - rendering me safe from her death gaze. My house keys dangled as I twirled them around to keep my hands occupied - they were attached to a key ring Mikasa had given me for my birthday a few years back, with a mini-sword with my name carved on it hanging from a small chain. 

 

It might have just been my imagination, but I'm pretty sure Mikasa sped up a bit when she heard my question. She waited for a few seconds, probably in a silent attempt to make me realize that she was mad at me, and then spoke. "Do you remember what you did yesterday?"

 

_Not good. Not good at all._

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

I hadn't meant to sound completely clueless when I said that, knowing that it would only make her angrier at me - but, to be honest, I was. I had no idea what she was talking about. And I wasn't quite sure I wanted to know. 

 

Mikasa sighed; in frustration? In disappointment? I wasn't sure I wanted to know that either. "You told everyone about Sasha and I."

 

  
I choked on my spit. " _What?_ " I must have heard wrong. Sure, I was drunk. Sure, I didn't remember what happened at the party. But Mikasa had a boyfriend. I had sworn not to tell anyone about what was going on between her and Sasha. Was I really drunk enough to break that promise?   


 

  
"Jean broke up with me. Half the school isn't talking to me. Did you know Sasha has a girlfriend? Or,  _had_ , now that you screwed up so bad." She didn't sound angry. She didn't sound pleased, of course, or disappointed, but what scared me is that she didn't sound angry. I didn't know how to deal with that.   


 

"Mikasa, I-"

 

  
"I don't want to hear it," she interjected, keeping her eyes fixated on the road. A part of me felt relieved that I didn't have to apologize for something that I didn't even remember myself doing. But another part of me, a more vicious and pathetic one, wanted me to stand up for myself, shout at her.  _I didn't do it._   


 

Before I could say anything, the car slowed to a stop, and Mikasa turned off the engine. I frowned momentarily, only realizing we had arrived when a very familiar voice asked us what we wanted to order. 

 

I noticed Sasha shooting Mikasa a pointed glare for a second, before averting her gaze. Mikasa ordered our food hastily, but her tone of voice didn't let in on her feelings. She talked as if nothing had happened. 

 

She didn't ask me what I wanted to get, however - in the end, it was obvious that she just wanted to get it over with. 

 

Minutes later, Sasha passed us our food through the window. Mikasa dumped it in my lap and started the car immediately after she paid, making sure to keep her eyes fixated on the road. 

 

"Shit," she muttered, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles became a ghastly, bone-white colour. "I forgot she works there on Saturdays." 

 

I had a very strong urge to bang my head on the window right about now. "How could you forget?!" My voice came out much louder than I intended it to, so I stared at the bags in my lap while I awaited her reply. 

 

Mikasa sounded irritated, but not at me. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't expected all her negative feelings towards me to blow off quickly; I knew she hadn't forgiven me, but it wasn't like her to hold grudges at me. 

 

A growl burst past her lips. "Well excuse me, but I haven't quite been thinking straight since what happened last night!" The way she'd said it gave me the feeling that she was more disappointed in herself than she was at me. I felt sort of satisfied in a pathetic sort of way - although I knew it was wrong. 

 

  
"I'm sorry," I sighed out, despite the fact that I still wasn't entirely sure what I was apologizing for. She shot me a side-glance, one of those reassuring kind of side-glances that spelled  _'it's fine'._   


 

Maybe it wasn't entirely fine, but that was enough for me. 

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"That's it." Mikasa said, a determined tone slipping into her voice. She turned off the television and pressed her fists against her hips as she got up and stared at me. "I'm sick of sulking. We need to go out."

 

I let my legs occupy the now empty space on the couch that she was previously sitting on, crossing my arms behind my head and shooting her a bored look. "Do I have to get up?" I whined, practically pleading her to sit down again with my eyes. 

 

But during the long time that she had been my sister, I'd learnt that when Mikasa decided to do something, she was going to no matter how much I protested.

 

  
Seeing the look in her eyes (which was just demanding enough to give off an aura of sinisterness) and contemplating on whether or not I wanted to be  _dragged_  off the couch, I decided to get up on my own.  


 

Mikasa smiled thriumphantly and headed upstairs to her room. "You can call Armin if you want!" She shouted behind her shoulder, just before she shut the door behind her. 

 

I let rip a breathy sigh before shuffling over to the kitchen table, where my cell phone waited. I typed in Armin's number mechanically, and waited for him to pick up. It was just after the third ring that I heard his voice, bored and maybe a bit tired. "Eren?"

 

"Hey," I started. "You okay? You sound tired." I might have sounded a bit more worried than necessary, because Armin rushed to answer, and I swear I could envision his face scrunching up at that exact moment.

 

"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! Just a bit worn out from chasing the dog around the house." He murmured the last part, a hint of embarassment slipping into his tone. I chuckled. Armin was my best friend, and I knew him better than I knew myself - so I was utterly convinced that under all his blond intelligence, he was a goof. I'd be lying if I said it had ever annoyed me; we made it a laughing matter so often that both of us felt completely comfortable with it by now. "Anyway, did something happen?"

 

  
I frowned. He hadn't been at the party last night, which means he didn't know what I did -  _if I even did it_ . Somehow it felt like a lie, although I'd witnessed with my own eyes that it was the truth. What bothered me was that I still didn't remember myself saying anything about Mikasa and Sasha.   


 

With a sigh, I balanced my phone between my ear and shoulder as I poured myself a glass of water. "Not exactly. I mean yes, but... I'll drop by your place in 30 to pick you up. The three of us are going out tonight."

 

"Will you tell me what happened?"

 

I rolled my eyes, although I knew he couldn't see it. "Yeah, I will." 

 

  
"Great!"  _Wow, how enthusiastic_ . "Tell Mikasa to hurry up!" We both knew that she needed more time than both of us combined to get ready. With a laugh, I told him I would, and hung up.   


 

After getting ready and waiting a full 15 minutes for Mikasa, I decided to knock on her door, hoping that it wouldn't earn me a death sentence. "Done yet?" I called, and within seconds, the door opened and my raven-haired sister stared at me expectantly. 

 

She wore a simple white dress with a black belt just above her belly button, the dark red scarf I'd given her the first time we'd met, and matching red flats. She twirled slightly to the side, "Do I look okay?" 

 

I could swear my eyebrow lifted on its own accord. "Since when do you worry about what you look like?" 

 

She rolled her eyes and patted my shoulder. "Ever since you started worrying about cleaning up after yourself when you jack off. Now come on, let's go."

 

I wasn't sure how to reply to that. 

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

In the southern part of Trost, the remnants of a wall built by our ancestors to prevent enemy invasions remained. Under the most stable part of the broken down wall stood a small night cafe; Wall Maria. That was where the three of us spent most of our Saturday nights at.

 

We were all sitting at a table in the back, and Armin was staring at Mikasa in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Mikasa nodded. He didn't seem to have digested all he had just heard. And I wouldn't blame him for it either. He turned to me. "And you don't remember any of it?"

 

I shook my head in a subtle motion of denial. "I'm still not completely convinced this isn't just some bad joke." Mikasa shot me a semi-chastising look, and I rolled my eyes. Armin frowned. 

 

"I don't know about you guys, but this seems fishy to me... Mikasa, you should tell me exactly what happened some other time." I watched as they came to a silent agreement, then sighed. Something stirred inside of me when I even thought about last night. I just couldn't believe that I'd do that to her. Drunk or not.

 

"I think I'm going to go outside for a sec. Get some air."

 

They exchanged knowing looks and then nodded at me simultaneously, so I headed for the back of the cafe where I wouldn't have to look at indiscreet couples making out or suffer under the examining looks of people I didn't know and wanted nothing to do with. It's not like I was anti-social. I just didn't like being put under a microscope and inspected as if I was something unusual; which I really wasn't. 

 

I leaned against the wall, hands in my pockets and head bent back so I could stare at the sky. The stars were moderately visible from here, and I couldn't exactly tear my eyes away from them. I couldn't think unless I was looking at the stars, and I really just wanted to think right now. 

 

  
I knew Mikasa wasn't mad at me anymore. But, no matter how selfish I was, I just didn't like that she was mad at me in the first place. She knew I'd never do that if I was sober, and I was seriously questioning if I would do that when drunk. It just felt  _wrong_ , and unreal, and I was probably blowing this out of proportion in my own mind (because I knew it would be forgotten sooner or later) but deep inside of me I probably still believed that I didn't do it.   


 

How could I have told everyone there about them? Armin and I were the only ones who knew that Mikasa was dating Sasha in secret, and no matter how wrong it was, I would never be stupid enough to tell anyone about it. Especially Jean. 

 

And still, here I was. I'd seen the way Sasha looked at Mikasa, and it wasn't exactly a loving look. I knew Mikasa wouldn't lie to me. I had to accept the fact that I'd told the truth, although this was one of the few times when I really shouldn't have. 

 

"Hey, faggot!"

 

I turned to the side with a frown, staring at the person that stood in front of me. He was tall, taller than me, but he seemed to be only one or two years older than me. His hair was black and he was tan. He reeked of alcohol. 

 

"Are you talking to me?" My eyes must have narrowed dangerously, hands clenching into fists. He was drunk, and his whole existence spelled trouble. He was exactly what I needed to let my frustration out, but I wasn't about to pick a fight with a drunk person in the back of a night cafe. I had anger issues - but I didn't want to be that kind of person.

 

So I sat there and tried to hold my anger back as he continued to spew out shit that I wanted to punch him for. 

 

"Yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you. What's the matter you little shitfuck, cat got your tongue?" He was getting significantly closer with every word, and the smell of tequila became more and more intense - along with something else, fouler; cigars? I could smell it on his clothes, in his breath. 

 

_What's the matter, Eren? Punch him. Hurt him._

 

No. I wanted to. But I had to hold back. 

 

"You little fucker." He shoved me with one hand, and I fell back one or two steps. 

 

_Hurt him._

 

When I snapped and my fist flew towards his face, it felt almost as if I was watching myself doing it; as if I was there, but at the same time I wasn't. My body was moving on its own accord.

 

But when he caught my punch, I fell back into my body, pulled my hand back. He wasn't holding it too tightly, so I was able to snatch it away from his grip before the thought of crushing my fingers even occured to him - he seemed like he was able to if he wanted. 

 

I cringed for a second. What would Mikasa say if she saw me like this? She's always been telling me to control my anger. I had to do it, at least for her. I couldn't fuck up two days in a row. 

 

He laughed, a snarky, sarcastic laugh. "Oh, would you look at mommy's boy. You can't even land a punch, faggot! That's right, just let mommy and daddy protect you like they always do. But I'll be at your house when you come back you little bitch, and your mom will be sucking my dick!"

 

That's what did it. I felt the blood surge to my brain so fast that my vision became blurry and I swear I saw red. 

 

He wasn't allowed to talk about my mom. 

 

Pictures of Mikasa flashed through my brain, her chastising everytime I got in trouble, and I remembered - I had to stay calm. I had to hold back. 

 

I took a staggering step backwards, trying to calm myself, but there was a voice in my brain that just refused to shut up. It felt like I was fighting with myself, like I was fighting the urge to throw myself at him and show him that he'd crossed the line. The voice was still there, it was always there, pushing me body and brain closer to their limits.

 

_Hurt him. Hurt him. He deserves it. Hurt him._

 

That must have been when I lost it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. New story. I just couldn't handle myself guys, the Ereri fandom was calling for me! 
> 
> Anyway, I'll say this now; updates won't be very frequent. I will do my best to update WEEKLY but with school and the numerous responsibilities that are trying to suffocate me, I don't know if I'll be able to update once every week. I'll still try though, because I love you all and your comments make me so happy you don't even know. 
> 
> Also, I'm not planning on making this story very long... 10 chapters tops, I guess. But I make no promises, sometimes these things just /happen/... :3 
> 
> Okay I'll stop ranting now. Thanks for reading, you guys! o3o


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter out, yay! *throws confetti* 
> 
> Let me tell you guys, this chapter was really hard to write. I just kept staring at it and wondering what I should write next, and the words just wouldn't come out. 
> 
> That's writer's block for you. 
> 
> But hey, at least it's out! And what did you know, it's not even a full week yet xD
> 
> Anyway anyway. I don't wanna start ranting (I do that a lot). 
> 
> Enjoy~! UuU

When I woke up, everything felt positively calm. It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn't in my room; the walls were a dull white color that had come to the point that it was more grey and yellow than it was white. The mattress I was lying on was hard, and my whole body ached. I blinked a few times, when I heard someone step into the room. 

A young, blonde girl that seemed to be in her twenties greeted me with a smile when she noticed me looking at her. "You're awake!" She looked back, outside of the room, and waved her hand at someone I couldn't see, as if telling them that it was okay to come inside. "I'll be back in a while. You can stay with your sister for now." And with that, she walked out of the room, just as I spotted Mikasa walking inside and taking a seat next to me. 

"They wouldn't let me stay inside the room," she said as soon as she sat down, hands fumbling around the sheets for my own. "How are you, Eren? We found you in the back of the cafe last night. What happened?" Her fingers stroked my hands softly, and I frowned in recollection of last night's events. 

My hands clenched tightly around her fingers in anger. "I went outside to get some air, and all of a sudden this drunkard comes up to me and starts spewing shit I couldn't even understand! He called me a faggot, and he... he... he talked about mom." I let out an anger-laced breath, and she sighed. 

Mikasa wasn't my real sister. Her parents died in a car crash when she was young, and since her father was one of my father's patients, we decided to adopt her into the family. I was five when that happened, and Mikasa was almost seven. She became a part of the family faster than we could realize, and in a few months she had turned into the overprotective sister that she is today. 

When I turned seven, my mom had taken Mikasa and I out to buy me a birthday present. We were at a games store when a man with a hoodie and a gun walked in and demanded we all fall on our knees, then bashed the cashier for money. Mom had rushed to hide us behind a booth, but her foot got tangled somewhere and she couldn't move. She was the only one still standing. The man spotted her, shot her without a second thought. 

Mikasa hugged me, threw her hand over my mouth before I had the time to scream. The police arrived seconds later and arrested the man - but Mom was already dead. 

A policeman drove us back home and explained the situation to our father. The next morning, no trace of him was left in the house. An old family friend who lived alone took us in for 5 years, until he had to move to another state - and we were taken in foster care for another 2. After that, we were allowed back into our house, since Mikasa had turned 16 and Armin's grandfather was generous enough to keep the house in his name until she turned 18 - which will be a year from now. Of course, his grandfather couldn't pay for our bills, so we had to start working; at least, Mikasa did, because I couldn't manage to keep a job for more than a few weeks.

My mother had left the house to Mikasa and I, so until she was legal we had to rely on Armin's grandfather - he was like a father to us. So I'd been focusing on whatever job I managed to get throughout the years, although our main income came from Mikasa's part-time job in a small coffee shop. Life wasn't easy, but we were getting by.

I knew Mikasa was - and still is - grateful to my parents for what they did for her. And I also knew that she was aware of how much I loved my mother. I didn't care about my father - he was dead to me ever since he'd left us to cope with life on our own that night. 

But my mother had always been kind. She'd always been a good person, and I couldn't stand people ever talking shit about her. So, Mikasa knew how I felt when I told her what the man from yesterday had said. 

"Eren, what did you do?" She sounded worried, but that was to be expected. I frowned. 

I pulled my hands away from hers and covered my eyes with them, trying to replay the scene in front of me. But soon enough, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what had happened after that. 

I remembered wanting to ignore him, wanting to just walk past him and leave, trying not to give in to the urge to punch him again. But after that, my mind drew a blank. There was nothing. 

"I don't remember," I admitted shamefully. "I don't think I touched him. I mean, I tried to punch him once, but I don't think I did anything after that."

Mikasa stared at me thoughtfully, then let out a sigh. "Are you sure, Eren? Try to remember. You didn't do anything?"

I felt my eyebrows connect in a questioning frown. She seemed worried, as if she knew something I didn't and my answer would reveal more than I could imagine. "Why are you getting so worked up over this?" When she didn't reply, I started to worry. "What's going on? Where are we, anyway?" 

"Eren, just try to remember, and I'll tell you. Please." She gave my hand a light squeeze, urging me to reply with a subtle dip of her head. 

I took a deep breath and thought back again, but nothing came to mind. I wanted to hurt him, but I'm sure I was doing a moderately good job ignoring that urge. I remembered my vision getting blurry, my thought process ceasing for a few seconds. And then everything was black. 

I must have blacked out. 

"I think I fainted." 

Time seemed to pause for a second and I watched Mikasa's eyes focus in and out as some unknown gears in her brain worked, trying to reach a conclusion I wasn't even close to comprehending. 

She looked down at me. "You didn't hurt him?" 

I allowed myself a second to take her question in, and then replied, sounding more sure of myself than I thought I ever would, "No."

She nodded, probably more to herself than to me. "We're at the hospital." I frowned, and she gave me a look than signaled I shouldn't talk until she was finished. "You passed out last night. That guy you're talking about was attacked, he's severely injured. He's in a coma right now, and the doctors say that there's a 50-50 chance of him waking up. Even if he does, he will probably have amnesia. Since you woke up, the hospital must have notified the police by now-"

"The police? What?" 

The look she gave me was a mixture of sympathy, annoyance, and worry. I wasn't really sure what to make of it. 

"Eren, they're saying you attacked that guy."

I wasn't sure if it was my eyes that widened first, or my jaw that dropped, or my stomach that was tied into a knot. I stared at her in hopes of having heard wrong, but her eyes were fixated on me, serious and expectant. 

"What do you mean?" The question sounded distant, as if I'd only said it mechanically - my mind was going back, I was trying to remember what happened, but I reaced the same conclusion everytime. I blacked out. I couldn't have hurt him. 

I stared at Mikasa as she tried to find the right words to reply, and I felt my fists clench tightly, involuntarily. "Mikasa! You can't possibly believe that, right? I mean, have you seen the guy?" As much as I didn't want to admit it, he was taller. Stronger. I couldn't have hurt him that bad even if I wanted to.

She looked at me, onyx eyes focusing solely on my face as she spoke, as if trying to emphasize the importance of her words. "There is a witness, saying they saw him head to the back of the cafe. That was the last anyone saw of him. Eren, there was no one else there. You were the only one." She was serious. Dead serious. 

I sat up and shook my head fervently, "Mikasa, I didn't do it! Don't you think I'd remember?"

"Eren, I want to believe you, but-" 

"No, you have to believe me!" I knew I was starting to get loud again, I knew my emotions were starting to get the better of me. I knew she hated this just as much as I did, but sometimes control is impossible when you know you're right. I knew I was right. She just didn't believe me. "Mikasa!" I placed my hands on her shoulders, probably squeezing a bit tighter than I intended, but she remained completely still. "I didn't hurt him. I couldn't have! I blacked out, I swear I did! There is no way it was my fault! There must be some other reason!"

She didn't speak, she just let me shake her and shout, shake her and shout until my throat was dry and my hands fell to my sides again. Once I was finally silent, she squeezed my hand softly, letting out a breathy sigh. 

She rose from her seat next to me. "I have to go. Armin told me to visit once you woke up and tell him how you're doing, his grandfather wouldn't let him leave the house. I have to swing by the police later anyways, so I will come see you. Please don't make a scene in front of the cops, it will make things worse." I just sat there, speechless and numb and wondering why she was so calm about something that was going to change our lives completely.

Just before she left the room, she turned back to me and forced her lips upwards into a small smile. "Don't worry Eren, I'll make sure you're out of there as soon as possible."

She walked out of the room. 

~*~*~*~*~

"Are you Eren Jeagar?" That was the first thing the cops told me. I nodded. "You have the right not to talk." That was the last thing they told me. Before I knew it, I was handcuffed and being led through corridors and out of the hospital. 

I thought about Mikasa, and how she had left, and how she had smiled, and how she had told me not to make a scene. For a split second, I thought about making a scene just to show her that I wasn't going to just sit here and let this happen to me, but I immediately realized what a grave mistake that would have been. As much as it annoyed me, she was right. It would make things much worse, and I didn't need that right now. 

I had to figure out what was going on first, talk to her more about it, although she'd left me to cope with this on my own. She was overprotective, and that annoyed me sometimes, but I still counted on her for a lot of things. Maybe she'd finally grown to believe that I could face things on my own. Or maybe she had an ulterior motive. The latter was much more possible. 

I was pushed into a car, door banging closed behind me before I could fully sit down. The engine roared, and I did my best to keep quiet until the car slowed to a stop outside of the police station. I only expressed my discontent when they tried to shove me around by glaring at them and saying "hey" just loud enough, but my voice met deaf ears.

I was thrown into a cell, at first - later, I was called out for photographs. They took samples of my fingerprints, my hair. I wasn't quite sure what was happening, and I was starting to get irritated, so I tried to think about Mikasa's words, how she promised she would be back. She would be back. Mikasa had always been here for me, and I was only now realizing how dependent I was on her. Under different circumstances, I might have hated it, but right now I just wanted to see her. She was my only family, and the need to see her and know that things were going to be okay was getting progressively larger by the minute. 

She really did come, and I don't think I'd ever been happier to see her. 

"Are you okay, Eren?" She asked as she took the seat across from me. My relief - relief that she was here, that I could be with her - masked the pointed glare I shot her way, and I crossed my arms under my chest. 

"Funny you should ask that," I grumbled out irritably, trying my best to muster a look that was as venomous as possible (and failing miserably, while we're at it). "Weren't you the one who left me alone at the hospital and told me to keep my cool while people I didn't know shoved me around and accused me of something I didn't do?" 

Mikasa heaved a sigh, onyx eyes rolling as she placed her hands on the table between us, crossing her fingers. "There was something I had to do." She stated simply. 

"Right." 

"Eren." Her voice suddenly turned stricter, eyes narrowing so slightly that it was almost unnoticeable. I didn't say anything, not quite in the mood to dig an even deeper grave for myself - instead, I waited for her to continue. "I wouldn't leave you if it wasn't really important. Or if I didn't expect you could do this on your own." She gave me a second to respond, but I just averted my gaze. 

Of course I could do this on my own. Dependent on her or not, I wasn't a kid. I didn't need her to hold my hand. I just wished she had been here to support me, because holding back from lashing out at the cops hadn't been the easiest thing.

"You didn't get in any trouble, did you?"

I shook my head. "No. But I still don't get why I'm here. I didn't do anything. Think you can explain that to them so they can let me go now?" 

Mikasa fell back in her seat, eyes unfocusing for a second as she took on the look that she had every time she was thinking really hard about something. I watched her narrow her eyes at nothing, tap her fingers on the table, and I watched her turn to me with a sort of unsure look that she reserved for the very rare case that she truly wasn't sure what to say. 

"It's not that simple," She said finally.

I felt my eyebrows crease, mechanically. "What do you mean?"

"I told you, there is a witness. I can't do anything to get you out." She paused for a moment, giving me time to think but not to reply. "But I got in touch with someone who can. He should be here any second now." 

I wasn't sure I'd be able to articulate my thoughts even if I tried, so I just said the first thing that came to mind, "Someone?"

The door swung open, and one of the men that had brought me here came inside the room. He eyed me as if I was something disgusting, and I felt my fist burning with the unquenchable desire to become one with his face. 

"Jaeger, your lawyer is here."

I fell still. 

My eyes flickered over to Mikasa, who was wearing a very empty expression on her face. A very empty, very suspicious expression. 

I gave her one of those looks that only she could understand, one of those looks that had what did you do spelled all over it.

We couldn't afford a lawyer. She knew that. We both knew that. 

I wasn't sure what was running through her head at the moment, but I didn't quite have time to ponder on it, since when I looked back up the cop had been replaced with a man I didn't know; and that man was slowly walking towards me. 

The first thing I noticed about him (the first thing anyone would notice, honestly) was that he was short. Absolutely, undeniably short. Ebony hair fell on his forehead, parted in the middle. He was wearing a black suit, a collared white shirt under it, and a dark grey tie. His coat was pulled over his shoulders, arms casually crossed under his chest. 

What I noticed last (and that was probably because he was staring at me with such a bored intensity that I was almost scared to look) was his eyes. Slanted, dark grey eyes the colour of storm clouds, they held the promise of imminent danger. 

He ignored Mikasa and hovered over me, intimidating despite his short stature. "Are you Eren Jeagar?" 

I was beginning to get sick of that question already, but all I could do at the moment was nod. 

He dipped his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement.

"I'm Levi. Your lawyer."


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for silly updates of silly Ereri fanfics! *throws hands up in the air* 
> 
> Soooo third chapter is out! I'm actually pretty satisfied with this one. Maybe? Possibly? xD 
> 
> We get some sassy Levi so that should be enough ;D 
> 
> I actually managed to finish this chapter in one day. That's a first~ (shoutout to slow-ass writers all over the world). 
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoy this! 
> 
> P.S How are you guys liking the story so far? Leave a comment, tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you'd like to see, maybe? 
> 
> P.P.S My tumblr is flamesofdeath in case anyone was wondering xD Go message me, I'll reply to anyone about anything, because you're all cuties and I adore you! *throws rainbows made of beautiful Ereri on you*

98% of the time, I didn't want to kill Mikasa. Maybe sometimes I'd get pissed at her, maybe I'd say things that I didn't mean, but I didn't have an overwhelming urge to strangle her. 

 

This time belonged in the other 2%. 

 

She was sitting there, simply  _staring_  as if nothing was wrong, while a middle-aged man who was shorter than me stood before me and claimed that he was my lawyer (and to top it off, we were in a fucking police department and I had been arrested for something I never did). 

 

I didn't need a lawyer, and more importantly, I couldn't  _afford_  a lawyer. I wasn't sure what was going on in Mikasa's head at the moment, and I don't think I wanted to know, either. 

 

"Hey, kid." The man tried to draw my attention in a way that I definitely didn't appreciate, but chose not to comment on. I looked up at him, waited until he finished what he wanted to say. "What're you zoning out for?"

 

His voice gave away none of his feelings, but in his eyes he seemed impatient and irritated - but then again, so was I. "Can you leave us alone for a sec, sir?" Somehow calling him anything other than sir didn't feel quite right, but at the same time I just wanted him to leave me alone so I could strangle Mikasa, so anything should have been right.

 

He lifted an eyebrow (it seemed more of a sarcastic notion to me than anything else) and then he just stared at me for a prolonged moment, as if trying to figure out if he'd heard me right. "Are you a complete idiot?" I didn't know what annoyed me the most, the fact that he called me an idiot or that he turned to my sister and adressed her by her first name as if they were buddies, "Mikasa, does your brother even realize what the fuck is going on here?" 

 

Mikasa sighed, and I expected her to stick up for me, but when she  _apologized_  on my behalf, I felt like there was some sort of conspiracy taking place against me, between some sort of higher powers that I didn't even want to comprehend. 

 

"I'm sorry about Eren. He's still pretty shocked over what happened."

 

Apparently satisfied with the apology, he turned to me. "Listen here, kid, I'm not going to say this twice. From now on, and until we get you out of here, you're going to do what I tell you. No arguing, no talking back." He paused for a second. "You'll have to tell me the whole story if you want me to help you. Like it or not, your sister's paying me for this and we're going to have to work together if you want me to get you out." 

 

He was being very serious, and by the way his eyes studied me, all storm and dark intimidation, I felt like I couldn't argue with him. 

 

The problem was, I didn't want to work with him. I hadn't asked for this, and no one had the right to make decisions about my life other than myself. Not even Mikasa. 

 

I ignored him and turned to her, my brows furrowing, tension pumping through my veins and to my fingers, threatening to make them ball into fists. I tried to keep calm, but the weight of whatever the hell was happening right now was slowly hitting me in waves, each one harder than the one before. 

 

"Mikasa," A hint of desperate anger crept into my voice, but I managed to keep it in check as much as possible. "I have no idea what the hell is going on right now, but you know we can't pay for a lawyer."

 

Her gaze fell to the floor, and she stole a second to think before replying. "I have some savings." She'd said it confidently, but I knew her too well not to pry any further. 

 

"No, you don't. The only money you put aside is the money for that car you always want-" I stopped short when her eyes met mine in an intense stare that was more of a glare than I wanted to believe. I blinked. Mikasa had been saving up for that car ever since she was 11. There was no way she'd use that money - or even part of it - to get a lawyer for me. 

 

I suddenly felt very guilty. 

 

"It's okay," she reassured me. "When you get out of here, we can work on saving up some more money."

 

I shook my head. It was only now starting to dawn on me that this - all of it - was my fault. I hadn't done anything wrong, and I knew that; but here I was, and here Mikasa was, giving up the money she'd been saving up for years just to help my sorry ass. I felt more than guilty. I felt mortified.

 

I buried my face in my hands and groaned in a moment of pure instinct, ignoring the man that practically radiated disappointment less than two feet beside me. 

 

I heard Mikasa's chair scrape against the floor, and I'm more than sure that every single hair on my body stood on end at the sound. She came over to me, pulled me into a hug while I was still seated. I didn't know exactly how log she'd been here, but she was obviously leaving. Not that I could blame her - I couldn't force her to stay here. She had a job, school, other things to take care of. 

 

"Armin's grandfather said that he will come see you as soon as he can." I almost smiled at that. His grandfather never really got out of the house unless he had something really important to do - at his age, he found it a waste of time and energy. "Armin said to be careful. He will probably come along with his grandpa." 

 

I nodded, wrapping my arms around her. Now that everything was slowly sinking in, I had to admit that I was sort of scared. Mostly because I had no idea what was going on - in here, or in my life. 

 

"Can you come again tomorrow?" I asked her just before she let go. I felt her hesitate for a second, as if she didn't know herself. 

 

"You're under 18, so as long as you request it, immediate family members can visit you." That was the lawyer. 

 

Mikasa gave me one last squeeze and an affirmative nod before she pulled away and ruffled my hair. "Don't get in trouble. And try to work with Levi, he's here to help you." A pause that gave me just enough time to take in what she had said - despite my discontent - but not to reply. "It'll be okay. If you say you didn't do it, I believe you." 

 

I was relieved, to say the least. Mikasa was the only one I knew I could always count on, and if she didn't believe me (which she'd made pretty clear that she didn't, at the hospital) then I would have no one on my side. But if she trusted me after thinking about it, that was all I needed. At least I knew that I wasn't alone. Sometimes that was more than enough. 

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

It was minutes later that Levi had taken Mikasa's seat and was exhaling heavily, probably trying to find the words to explain whatever I was supposed to know. 

 

However, I was as curious as ever and now that I'd had some time (albeit not too much) to come to terms with the fact that he was here whether I liked it or not, and I knew Mikasa had sacrificed a lot just for that to happen, I decided to voice the thoughts that had been swimming in the surface of my mind for a while. 

 

"You don't look like a lawyer."

 

His eyes snapped to my face, catching mine so quickly that I didn't even have time to blink. "Are you always a pain in the ass or did my presence suddenly  _inspire_  you?" Something in his sarcasm-laced tone was pretty unsettling, but I didn't budge. 

 

"You don't sound like a lawyer either," I remarked, attempting to hold his stare but ending up giving in. I think the most intimidating part about him was his eyes. They said everything, and nothing at the same time. 

 

He snorted, eyes rolling halfway before he pointed at me and said, "Alright, what part of me isn't lawyer-like enough to you, kid?" The way his index finger was pointing to me was almost challenging, as if he was daring me to answer. 

 

I lingered for a moment, trying to think of fitting words to describe it, but when I couldn't find any, I just said the first thing that came to mind. "Well, your clothes. How you put your jacket over your shoulders instead of wearing it normally. The fact that you swear." I said the last part in a low tone, as if we were being watched and I had to keep quiet. Finally, when I caught a sniff of a very distinctive smell (and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it earlier), I added, "And the fact that you smoke."

 

I had expected him to scoff, maybe click his tongue, so I was taken by surprise when all he did was laugh. It was a low, bemused laugh, one that irritated me more than it should (like most things did). "Are you serious?" It was a genuine question, so I nodded. His expression - or, the part of his face that actually managed to form a half-assed expression - gave me the feeling that he was about to bang his head on the table. 

 

He didn't do it. 

 

He simply shook his head, seemingly disappointed. "Kid, if you think all lawyers are saints that dress like models, talk like scientists, and smell of Calvin Klein, then you'd better re-think your life altogether." 

 

I didn't really feel like doing that, to be honest, so I just remained silent. 

 

Moments later, he spoke up again. "So, your name is Eren Jeagar. You're a 16 year old delinquent who attacked a guy at the back of a night ca-

 

"I didn't attack him!" I hurried to interrupt him, but the lift of his eyebrow made me think that it might not have been such a bright idea after all. 

 

"Are you going to shut up and let me do my job or do I have to seal your mouth with duct tape? Christ. I'm just repeating what the police told me, you can tell me your version of the story later." His reprimanding look reverted back to an apathetic one only seconds later and he continued from where he'd left off as if I'd never interjected. 

 

"So, you attacked a guy at the back of a night cafe. It was a fist fight. The guy was almost bashed to death, and you were found laying unconscious in the back of the cafe, with no blood on your clothes and not even a scratch. There was also a witness that saw both of you heading to the back of the cafe, but didn't actually see the incident. Other than that, there is no proof that you even touched the guy." He paused for a second, as if re-thinking something he'd already thought over more than once. That was quite impressive, considering that he'd probably only learned all this minutes ago. "That's convenient," He finally concluded.

 

I pondered on everything he'd told me for a few seconds. I wasn't a lawyer, but it didn't take one to know that the odds were in my favour. 

 

He pushed the chair back and stood up, glancing over to me. "Get up, kid. I have too much to explain to you and I think I'll only be able to pull that off with a cigarette to keep me from bashing the stupid out of you."

 

I ignored his comment and followed him as we exited the room and he talked to the cop that was standing outside the door. He gave off an odd aura of authority, made it seem like he was in charge even when he wasn't. I didn't quite pay attention at what he said to the other man, but he made sure we could go outside the police department to talk (which I was pretty sure wasn't allowed). 

 

The moment we stepped outside, he pulled a packet of Marlboro and a lighter out of his pocket. He lit one, then looked me up and down for a split second and extended the packet of cigarettes towards me. I stared at it, then up at him, not quite sure what the notion meant. 

 

He blew out a smoke-filled sigh. "Do you smoke, kid?" 

 

I shook my head. "No, sir." 

 

He placed the packet back in his pocket and scoffed, face scrunching up for a fraction of a millisecond. "Don't call me sir. It's offensive, and I'm not even that much older than you."

 

I wasn't quite sure how he found sir offensive, but I knew adults were weird so I decided not to ponder on it. "Well then, don't call me kid." He chuckled, and it was the sort of chuckle that spelled  _how dare you make a snippy remark._  


 

"Why not?" He took a drag off his cigarette as he stared at me. 

 

"I don't like it." 

 

Another chuckle.  _Glad you find me amusing_. "I don't care. It stays." A pause. "But you'll be calling me Levi."

 

"That's not fair!" Maybe I was being a bit too loud. 

 

"Respect your elders." 

 

Okay, that  _definitely_  wasn't fair. "But you said-"

 

"Right now, they have the right to keep you here for three days, since the crime occurred at night and the accusation is attempted murder." He cut me off, completely unfazed and absolutely uninterested in what I had to say. I might have started to say something, but I felt myself stop short when the last two words left his lips. 

 

Attempted murder. 

 

Was that what they were accusing me of? 

 

I remained still for a few seconds, and I noticed the lawyer - _Levi_ \- study my expression. As if he could read my thoughts, he added, "I told you, the guy was almost bashed to death. He's lucky he survived." 

 

I hated myself for it, but at that exact moment, I just wanted to punch something. Something, or someone, because they were wrong. Because I didn't do it. And there is nothing worse in the world than being accused of something you haven't done. 

 

"I can't believe this." My voice sounded different. Angrier.  I felt the anger boiling inside of me, I felt myself burst and knew I was already overreacting. That this was exactly what Mikasa had warned me not to do. But I couldn't help it. "I didn't fucking do it!" If I was being a bit too loud before, now I was being really loud. Levi looked around, then turned to me and motioned for me to be quiet (not actually taking the time to say it, since at the moment he was letting out a perfectly round cloud of smoke). 

 

But I didn't want to be quiet. I wanted to go in there and prove to them that I'd done nothing. They had no proof. They only had a witness, and that wasn't even enough to accuse me of anything. How dare they do this to me. How dare they do this to my life. 

 

_How dare they do this to you._

 

"I'm not going to be quiet! They don't have the right to do this! I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for any of it, and I sure as hell did nothing to deserve it!" I was shouting by now, that much I knew, but I felt like I was slowly getting detached from my environment, letting someone else speak instead of me and say all that I couldn't have said any other time. "I don't care what they say, I'm not just going to sit he-"

 

"Shut up you fucking brat, you're going to get us both in trouble." His voice was strict, and it cut through the air like a freshly-sharpened knife. His tone was dark - a tone that was not worth arguing. And his eyes; they held a special sort of intimidating that I'd never seen before in my life. It made me realize that despite his short stature, he had authority. And that authority managed to get through to me and shut me up. 

 

I felt myself drop back into my body, just like I did every time I had an outburst (that's what Mikasa called them). I'd gotten used to it by now - the outbursts, the overreacting, the anger that I was unable to hold back. This is why she always told me to be careful. This is also why I never had many friends. 

 

But Levi had effectively shut me up, and right now I was just staring at him blankly, slowly getting a hold of myself again. 

 

He sighed, dragging off his cigarette again, as if he was dragging in  _patience_.

 

"As I was saying," he started, small clouds of smoke leaving his lips along with the words, "they can keep you here for three days. They'll have a talk with the witness again, see if there's anything else she can tell them. If not, and if they can't find any proof, they should let you go on conditional bail. That means you'll probably have a curfew." 

 

"The parents of the victim have the right to ask for a trial, so don't rest assured that you won't have to go to court, even if you get out. But if you're really innocent, then you should be fine."

 

He let his cigarette fall to the ground and stepped on it with the (maybe a bit too high for a guy) heel of his boot, then put his hands in his pockets. "That is, of course, if they don't find anything against you. In case they do, then you'll go to court and your fate will be decided there." He looked at me and lifted an eyebrow. "Did you catch all that? 'Cause I don't feel like repeating myself." I nodded. "Good. Any questions?" 

 

I lingered, still slightly embarrassed from having him witness (and stop) one of my outbursts. 

 

The truth was, I did have one question. A question that for some reason had been nagging me ever since I talked with Mikasa at the hospital. 

 

"Yeah." I stayed silent for a second, and he urged me to continue with a subtle flourish. "Who's the witness?" 

 

I hadn't worded it very nicely, but I doubted he cared. 

 

Whoever that person was, if they were at Wall Maria, I must have seen them at least once. 

 

I watched Levi's eyes close and his jaw tighten slightly in concentration, obviously as he tried to recall their name. 

 

Moments later, he finally turned to me. "I think they told me it's a girl about your age. I didn't really feel like writing down what they said, but I think her name was..." He stopped again, probably making sure he had it right. 

 

"Annie Leonhart."


End file.
